Terry Collins unfair treatment of Juan Lagares

Collins acknowledges the need for the defense of Lagares but he clearly does not value a run saved as much as a run produced.

Juan Lagares has played a brilliant centerfield and he has been rewarded with a seat on the bench.

Sandy Alderson established 90 wins as the goal for the 2014 season.

Although most agree that goal is highly unlikely to be reached, Alderson's proclamation signified a shift in the conversation from rebuilding to a balance between future AND current success. Basically Alderson was saying that the Mets will, for the first time under his leadership, care about winning games THIS year.

It stands to reason that the best nine players will be playing most games and results will be the determinant of playing time. So nearly every Met fan is mystified by the sudden benching of one of the team's best performing players in 2014, Juan Lagares.

When asked directly why Lagares is not playing, Collins said "we need his defense, but we have to score runs." That would be acceptable if not for the fact that Lagares has a higher OPS than every Met starter other than Daniel Murphy. Lagares is not an offensive stud but he is far from an automatic out like a few of the current regulars.

Lagares has cooled off after his hot start but he is not ice cold. Collins would never consider sitting David Wright to bolster the offense even though Wright enters tonight's game with an underwhelming .703 OPS (Lagares current OPS is .775). No Met fan wants Wright on the bench, we are patiently waiting for him to break out. Lagares also deserves the chance to play through mini-slumps without worrying that a few hit-less at bats will land him on the bench because his defense is so superior.

Collins acknowledges the need for the defense of Lagares but he clearly does not value a run saved as much as a run produced. The last two games the defense of Eric Young and Chris Young cost the Mets two runs and they produced no runs. The difference, defensively, between Lagares and all other Met outfielders is dramatic, nobody disputes that. But it seems that Collins undervalues the defensive half of the game, ignoring the fact that the Mets play their home games in a park with an enormous amount of outfield ground to cover.

The Mets need to develop a culture where productivity counts more than expectation. Eric Young is having a good season, for him, and his OPS is only .651. Chris Young and his .675 OPS are four years removed from his all star season.

Juan Lagares has earned the right to be penciled into the lineup everyday. Met fans are excited to watch Lagares, he is a human highlight reel and one of the few reasons to watch Met games.

I certainly did not expect a ninety win season this year. But I did expect the Mets to play to win and to reward the players who produce. The treatment of Lagares is inconsistent with the stated goal of winning. Even worse, jerking around a player who has earned playing time can mess with his head and cause a regression in his development.

Citi Field has been empty for a while. Benching exciting, productive players is not a good formula for getting the fans to come back. Let's hope Collins and Alderson come to their senses and allow their best outfielder to play without constantly looking over his shoulder.